George Russell won the Australian Grand Prix, the opening race of the 2026 Formula 1 season. The Mercedes driver finished ahead of his team-mate Kimi Antonelli, while third place went to Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. The outcome of the race was decided by strategy during the virtual safety car period, which Mercedes used more effectively than Ferrari. Fourth place went to Lewis Hamilton for Ferrari. Lando Norris of McLaren was fifth, while Max Verstappen of Red Bull, who started from 20th on the grid, finished sixth. Oscar Piastri did not start after crashing before the race began. Oliver Bearman of Haas finished seventh, and debutant Arvid Lindblad of Racing Bulls was eighth. The next race of the season will take place on 13–15 March in Shanghai, where the Chinese Grand Prix is scheduled.
